


When Life or Death is Left to Chance

by ChibiEdo, Tien



Series: HSO 2012 Entries [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, hso 2012
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2012-12-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 20:46:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiEdo/pseuds/ChibiEdo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tien/pseuds/Tien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the cruel Alternian Empire wagers are placed not with money or chips, but with the lives of enslaved aliens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Life or Death is Left to Chance

**Author's Note:**

> This was my entry for the Homestuck Shipping Olympics Round One!  
> I was on team John<3Karkat.  
> The prompt for this round was gambling.
> 
> I was not chosen to represent my team for round one, but I figured I should upload my entry anyway!  
> This is the unedited version. Unfortunately I had to make cuts to the dialogue and a few descriptive paragraphs to fit with HSO's word count limit. But this version has everything that I first wrote in it!
> 
> ChibiEdo, my partner for this did the art and helped with the story.

Alternians are ruthless; they conquer planets and enslave inhabitants. Nothing stops them, they are a wave that crashes over everything and leaves nothing but destruction, fear, and overwhelming sadness. Their empire is built on the tears and blood of the aliens they rule. For the trolls of Alternia it’s a better trade off, their civilization was previously built on their blood and the deaths of many trolls. For them anything is better than the mountain of corpses and rainbow blood painted warships that sped across the sky. 

Life is now luxurious for the people of Alternia. They have everything, and all of their sacrifice and hard work paid off. Their territory spreads out across the vast universe. Entire galaxies are under their rule, and from these galaxies they take their prizes. Some natives they enslave, others they simply rule. Heinous games are created. Said games are different now, the very core of gambling is different. Instead of betting with chips that stand for money trolls tend to use the lives of the species they capture. The games played vary from planet to planet. Sometimes they play cards and the exchange of “chips” works like a slave trade. Other times it’s a lot more sinister and the lives of the captives are extinguished like a small candle flame. It’s great fun, many trolls participate in the betting and competition over the lives of the captives. 

Gambling for money is boring, but betting on the lives of creatures weaker than you, now there’s a game worth playing.

Karkat Vantas was currently walking down the long hallway that lead to the holding cells for prisoners and prizes. The planet he lived on was completely under the rule of Alternia, but they allowed the native species to share it with them. Trolls lived in huge cites with the best technology and the humans lived in small groups in the rundown portions of towns. They could live how they wanted as long as their lives belonged to a troll. Every day games were played with the trolls who wanted a chance at owning a human of their own. 

The terms were simple. Any human who reaches nine sweeps of age must report and wait to be used in a game. They lived in cells and were fed and watered, trolls would then decide if they wanted a chance to own that humans life. If they did, they’d simply put their name down and wait for the time when the betting would take place. The game was quite easy, a troll roles a pair of dice, the highest number wins the bet, the bet being the life of the human. They play against each other, in the event that a troll selects a human who doesn’t have another troll playing for him that troll plays against the house. If the troll doesn’t beat the houses roll then the human is simply killed and the troll can try again the next day. If the troll is successful then the human is now theirs to do whatever they desire with. 

A cheery voice greeted Karkat when he reached the sealed doors that separated the main hall from the holding cells. “Heh heh heh hey Karkat, is that you I smell? I didn’t think I’d ever see you here. What’s the occasion?” 

“Terezi?” Karkat turned around and faced his blind friend. “I actually got a summon, I was ordered to play or I’d be killed.”

“Looks like someone finally figured out your candy red secret.”

He growled, “Probably. I don’t get why they’re making me play for the life a human though. Seems pretty fucking stupid to me, it’s not really a punishment.”

Terezi nodded thoughtfully, “I thought you were here to play for that John human.”

“What? No way, he’s not nine yet,” Karkat opened the door after sliding his ID card through. “Do you have a human in mind you’re playing for?” 

“In fact I do, I can show him to you.” She smiled smugly and led Karkat down the hall lined with cells. “That one, with the delicious red eyes.” Terezi gestured to human in a cell marked “123 DAVE STRIDER”. She continued, “He’s listed under 123 in the booklet. He seems to be pretty cool.” 

“You just want him for his eyes,” Karkat commented. 

“Heh heh maybe, I guess we’ll never know. So do you have any ideas?”

Karkat paused and thought for a while, “No, not really, I was just hoping to look around and settle on one.” He laughed uneasily, “I was hoping for a chance at John when he turned nine, but I’m also scared of losing him. Besides, that’s all moot point, I haven’t seen the fucker in weeks. He just dropped off the face of the planet.”

“Perhaps he moved away?” Terezi suggested thoughtfully.

“That’s what I thought,” He replied. “At least…at least I can hope he’s still alive out there and not dead.” 

Terezi licked a watch on her wrist, “Oh damn, I gotta go Karkat. It’s almost my time to play. Hope you find a suitable human!” 

The young troll waved her off and proceeded down the long line of cells containing various humans. They were all ages and colors, some just freshly nine, others as old as forty. Karkat was looking for a younger human, possibly one he could just roll for and then set free. The idea of owning a person didn’t sit well with him. He passed by cell after cell, looking at the human listed and at the booklet too. Karkat was reading up on the various humans listed, some came from other parts of the world, all were unique. He was also looking for humans who had the signatures of trolls on them; these would be less likely to die because they weren’t up against the house. 

Karkat continued to wander around and look into each chamber. As he did he thought back to John, he was Karkat’s only friend growing up. He used to live in the slums, among the humans when he was a child. His mutated blood made it hard to blend in with other trolls. Karkat would often visit John and his father who was a free human. He remembered how quickly they became friends, and how they eventually became more than that. Karkat had made a promise, that as soon as John reached nine sweeps of age he’d play for his life. 

Deep down he had prayed he’d never need to make the promise a reality. There was a sliver of hope that maybe his dad fled the area with him and they were able to escape trolls like himself and be free. But he wasn’t sure where they could go; there wasn’t a place in the universe that wasn’t under Alternian control. Despite the bleak situation he still hung onto that hope, until it was crushed when he smelled a familiar scent that made his blood run cold. 

He spun around quickly and looked in the cell directly behind him. “John!” He shouted and ran to the cell gripping the bars tightly. “John, no fuck! You said you weren’t nine yet! You said you wouldn’t be here for another half sweep!”

The human in the cage looked up, “K-Karkat?” His blue eyes widened, “Karkat!” John rushed forward to meet him. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were nine this year? John!”

“It’s ok, Karkat…” He tried to smile and be positive.

"No it's not you fucking nookwhiff. John you could die!"

“I won’t die,” The human smiled, “I have you playing for me, right?”

"You don't...you don't know that for sure... I could still lose…” Karkat forced his eyes back on John, “I thought you just forgot about me, or were forced to move. I thought I’d never see you again..." John reached out to touch Karkat's face. Karkat stiffened and moved back, "John stop it, we can't let them know we know each other."

"Karkat..."

"I'll play for you John, I'll win. I swear." Karkat moved forward again, "Has any other troll shown interest in you? Has anyone signed?" He looked at the sheet by John’s door.

The human hesitated, "No, you're the first, there's this other troll, Serket or something, she's come and gone a few times."

"John I will win you back,” he said solemnly. 

"I know you will," he smiled, "Hey Karkat? What happens when you win?" John watched Karkat sign his name on the sheet.

"I don't know...I win your life, so I suppose you're free to come with me, or live on your own I guess. You just have to get my sign and color as a tattoo on your shoulder.

“You won't make me a slave will you?" For a brief moment Karkat saw fear flash across John’s face.

"Of course not," Karkat snapped, "What the hell kind of friend do you think I am?"

A smile slipped back onto John’s face, "Hmmmmm the good kind, the kind that you know, falls in love with a human."

"Shut up!" Karkat hissed.

"Hahaha oh come on Karkat, we both know we're fucked, we can't get any worse." John reached for Karkat’s cheek again and ran his hand down it, “They figured you out right? Your blood color? You have to tell them to participate…So what harm could be done by showing affection?”

Karkat leaned in and allowed john to kiss him quickly. Then suddenly the human punched him in the chest real fast. "What the hell john?" The troll growled angrily.

"You were buzzing again...you're the one who said we can't let on,” John giggled. “It was sorta loud.”

The troll glanced around to see if anyone else had heard him. “Sorry, you know I can’t really control it,” Karkat gave John a rare smile.

"Hey Karkat," John asked the troll, pressing his forehead against the bars so they could touch, "Remember that time you said you loved me?" The troll nodded, "Well, I love you too Karkat."

"I know that idiot. Why did you feel the need to tell me this?"

"Well because...in case you don't win."

“John don’t-“

“Karkat just…hear me out,” John drew in a shaky breath. “In less than an hour all the humans who’ve been chosen go upstairs and await the games to be played. If you don’t win, this could be the last time we get to talk.” 

“Y-Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Karkat sat down with John and held his hand through the bars. “Why didn’t you tell me you were nine? How long have you been here?”

“For about uh, a month or so. Sorry Karkat.”

“Idiot,” he growled. 

“But I’m your idiot,” John laughed and squeezed the troll’s hands on the other side. “You look good,” he commented. The troll wasn’t dressed in the rags he was so used to seeing. He had on the same grey pants and black shirt, but they were nicer now, not filled with holes. A new jacket hung on his shoulders, his symbol glowing grey in the dimmed hallway. 

“I got a job,” he offered simply. “You’re not too bad yourself,” he lied. John wasn’t in bad shape, but he was thinner than when he last saw him, his eyes seemed a bit tired and his clothes were tattered. 

The sat holding hands for a long while in silence, finally John spoke quietly, “Hey Karkat? Remember that time we stole bread from the local bakery?”

Karkat chuckled remembering the moment fondly. “Of course, how could I forget?” He grinned, “There was hardly enough food for the both of us.”

“Heh heh yeah. But it was still kinda fun!” John looked up at Karkat, he thought about that day. They both felt so free, they both thought they could conquer the world and felt alive. It was just them, the human and the mutant. It was great. “Karkat…do you remember what happened after we got away?”

The troll grinned back at him fondly, “Of course bulgelicker. That was the first time we kissed.”

“I knew you wouldn’t forget,” John leaned forward and kissed the troll again. “If you lose…can you promise me you won’t forget about me? And…could you please tell my dad I didn’t make it?” 

“Yeah, of course…but don’t think like that.”

“Sorry Karkat, it’s just hard not to.” John leaned against the bars, “It’s sad to think that my life is worth so little, just because my skin is pale and you have horns.” He failed to keep his trademark grin on, “In a few minutes my whole life will be decided by a simple toss of the dice.”

Karkat put a comforting hand on his cheek, “I know, I don’t like it either. But it’s not like we can do anything about it.” 

“That troll girl,” John brought up again, “Serket, she had the same sign and color as the one my dad wears on his shoulder.”

“Perhaps she’s come to play for you too, as a favor to your father or something.”

“I don’t know… I don’t want to bear her symbol, I want yours…”

Karkat was going to say something more, but a loudspeaker interrupted the couple. “The next round of games will be played in ten minutes. All trolls please report upstairs and participants report to the waiting room.”

“Looks like you have to go…” John said standing up. 

“Yeah,” Karkat didn’t really want to leave though. 

“Go on, we’ll see each other again soon!” He gave him one last kiss goodbye. 

Karkat surprised the boy by deepening it and hugging him through the bars the best he could. “It’s not goodbye, I swear.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Karkat took one last look at the human he left behind. He was determined to win, even though he knew it was all chance and he couldn’t actually do a damn thing to ensure he won. 

Karkat entered the waiting area with the other trolls who had signed up to play. He paid his fee and stood around nervously looking from troll to troll. Eventually he moved and looked through a window that overlooked the holding area for the humans. At the same time John was cuffed and lead to the holding area with the other chosen humans. He took deep breaths to steady his erratic heartbeat. On the way to the holding area they passed one hallway with a single window, John looked up into the sky knowing it could be last time he ever saw it. John also stole a glance at the upper floors of the facility, he knew Karkat was up there somewhere, and he was probably as nervous as he was. 

One by one trolls entered the gaming room and returned with either a smile on their face or a look of mild annoyance. He ended up seeing Terezi leave the room too, she was frowning, “Hey Rezi, what happened?”

“I lost him. Fuck I really wanted that human too.” 

He placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

“So,” she moved on, did you figure out who you’re playing for?”

Karkat froze. “Y-Yeah. John.”

Her sightless eyes widened, “I thought you said he wouldn’t be there.”

“Well it turns out he lied to me, he’s here, and I’m going to make sure I win him.” 

Terezi wished him luck, “Go win your Matesprit dumb-ass.”

“Terezi? How the fuck did you know?” 

She cackled, “You’re terrible at hiding your feelings from friends.” She waved and left him alone in a sea of trolls that didn’t give any fucks about the lives they were playing with. 

He overheard all their conversations. It made him sick. Eventually his name was called and he moved to a small door and waited to be let in. When it opened he was greeted with two large blue bloods that grabbed him and bound his wrists and feet. “What the fuck?”

“Shut your mouth mutant,” they pulled him forward into the room. It was actually a raised platform that overlooked a massive crowd of trolls that were waiting to watch the spectacle. Below them the floor opened up to reveal the holding area where the humans waited. Adjacent to that room was the execution chamber; it was open so the trolls could watch. Karkat gagged when he watched a few brown bloods clean up the splattered mess of the unfortunate humans that weren’t lucky. He caught a glimpse of blond locks in amongst the red gore.

“Karkat Vantas!” A voice from a loudspeaker sounded again, the audience fell silent. “You have chosen to play for the human number 413 John Egbert, is this correct?” He nodded his throat suddenly dry. “It has been discovered that you have a mutated blood color, under Alternian law you shouldn’t be allowed to live. However, you have survived for this long under the radar so we are rewarding you by making a special case.” He watched as a platform rose to reveal John, equally bound, but he was crying. 

“D-D-Dave…” He whimpered. “Dave he-he-“

“Shhhh John it’s ok,” He made an attempt to comfort the boy despite the distance and less than perfect condition.

“It has been decided that you will role dice against each other, the winner gets to live.” 

John went pale and looked over at Karkat’s equally pale face. “Fuck,” he muttered. 

The human looked so scared; he was trembling and could hardly hold the dice in his hands when he was un-cuffed. Karkat walked bravely up to the table and accepted his dice too, they didn’t unbind him, a troll was much more of a threat than a human. He had to act brave; he had to make John relax. “It’ll be ok John, don’t worry, just roll the dice.”

“No, you first,” he whimpered.

“We’ll do it at the same time, how about that?” John nodded his tear stained face still scared. “Ok, one,” John raised his hand, “two,” he shook the dice, “three!” They both released their hands and watched the dice dance across the table. John shut his eyes tight and didn’t look at the outcome, Karkat couldn’t look away. 

One of the blue-bloods read the outcome out loud. “Tie!” Karkat looked to the guards fearfully.

“What the fuck does a tie mean? Do we both live? Die? What?”

“It means you roll again.”

“I don’t want to Karkat, I can’t take this.” He started backing up, but Karkat growled at him when the guards moved closer. 

“Shhhh John you can. Now roll.” 

So they did, with trembling hands they rolled for the lives of each other one last time. John’s roll was two two’s, he looked at Karkat with fear in his eyes, almost the lowest number he could role. Karkat’s hand fell away and his dice rolled across the table, one two and another-

“Tie!” The troll called out again. The audience gasped. 

Karkat honestly didn’t know what to think, he was scared and he wanted was for the both of them to make it out alive. He scooped up his dice again and awaited the command to role again. On the screens high above the audience their moves were displayed. 

Time and time again the results were the same. Tie. Tie. Tie. 

The audience was getting fed up, they wanted blood. Eventually there was a hush over the crowd as a figure moved forward. The crowd parted to reveal someone they never even dreamed of meeting. Karkat and John’s eyes both widened and they fell hastily to one knee. It was their Empress, Feferi Peixes. She moved gracefully through the trolls and boarded the platform to join Karkat and John. 

“Rise, both of you,” she said calmly. “Never in all my long years have I seen a spectacle such as this.” She touched both John and Karkat’s shoulders. “Clearly there is a higher force at work here, and this higher force desires both of you to live.” There was a sudden uproar of murmuring coming from the trolls behind her, but none dared speak out against their queen.

“You are too kind,” Karkat said softly.

“No, if I were truly kind I would stop this whole thing,” She said quietly.

On her orders the guards released both prisoners from their chains. “John, you must get Karkat’s symbol and blood color tattooed on your body, like any other human. Karkat, you must also get the same done to yourself. I will make sure every culling force is aware of your case. You shouldn’t be bothered from here on out.” She stepped to meet Karkat and whisper in his ear, “I hope I do not grow to regret this decision of mine.”

“What could you fear from us?”

“I’m not sure,” she replied before turning her back on the two and retreated back down to the audience. 

*Months later*

“Karkat, do you ever think about what would have happened if one of us had lost? Or if the Empress didn’t save us?”

“I do,” Karkat replied stiffly. “It usually involves me killing trolls to save your life before I die as well.”

“Oh,” John was silent for a while. “Why do you think she saved us?”

“Perhaps she was right, and we are destined for more.” Karkat leaned in and kissed John. “Our lives are worth more than a simple dice toss.”

He kissed him back and smiled, “Watch our love tear down the fearful Alternians.”  



End file.
